A Mutual Feeling
by COOKIECHEESEMAN
Summary: Complete. Four little words cause one man to make the biggest decision of his life, make another man take action that will haunt him for the rest of his life, and make one woman the happiest she's ever been in her life. HeathxPriscilla, plus Raven.
1. Between Raven and Heath

A Mutual Feeling...

Chapter 1: Between Raven and Heath

"Will you marry me?"

Heath sits alone in his tent, replaying the words he longs to express to his love, Priscilla. Not just these four words, however; he also wants to tell her everything he loves about her, such as her calming demeanor, her endearing personality, and her clear emerald eyes... but there's just one thing stopping him from admitting his feelings...

He is not allowed.

_I wish desperately to say something, but I can't... it's all because of who I am..._

"What are you mumbling about?"

Turning around in confusion, Heath acknowledges the presence of Raven, Priscilla's hard-edged brother. If there's one person Heath doesn't want to talk to right now, it's him; Raven has a reputation of being extremely protective of his sister, and so mentioning his intentions to him is almost certainly a bad idea.

"Er, nothing," Heath replies, awkwardly shifting his eyes back and forth. "Just talking to myself, I guess."

"Really. So you're just asking the air to marry you, then."

Heath bites his lip in concern, fearful that Raven already knows everything about the situation. "What? Why would I say a ridiculous thing like that? Where would you get that idea?"

"Okay then, here's a better idea," Raven says, calmly pulling out his sword and holding it up to Heath's neck. "You can just tell me exactly what's going on so I don't have to guess."

Considering the logical persuasion used against him, Heath wisely gives in and starts to spill out his confession. "Raven... I'm in love with Priscilla."

Raven doesn't respond.

"But you knew that already, didn't you? That's why you're overreacting right now. Holding this... sword up to my neck. You already knew that."

Still not saying anything, Raven continues to stare into Heath's eyes, examining them for any trace of doubt or deceit, but after what seems like hours, he actually smirks, confusing Heath.

"Raven?"

"You're absolutely right. I already knew everything." He replaces his sword back into its hilt, and begins to slowly pace around the tent, studying its interior. "And, I must admit... the feeling is mutual. Whenever she speaks your name, her eyes begin to sparkle..."

He turns his glance back to Heath. "I haven't seen her like that... since we were separated. That look used to be reserved for me... her only brother. But now... all I see when we talk is darkness and sadness..."

Heath absorbs the information thoughtfully. What is Raven saying?

"When Priscilla finally found me, after all these years... even though I never said anything, I really did miss the way her eyes lit up whenever we were together, like that time years and years ago... and yet, I never saw it again..."

Raven now stands in silence, recalling the memories of months ago. Back when Priscilla first found Raven in Caelin, it was an awkward situation for Priscilla and him, mainly because he was so preoccupied with getting his revenge.

"I... was selfish. Because of my actions, we drifted apart, even though she tried her best to stay by my side. I wanted revenge, and that was all that was on my mind. I pushed her away..."

Pondering over his next thought, Raven sits down relatively close to Heath on the ground, causing Heath to awkwardly shy away to the other end of the tent, earning a cold glare from Raven. "Heath... why do you think I'm here?"

Heath doesn't respond, confused by Raven's question and the intent behind it.

"Oh yes... I never finished my story. I never saw Priscilla's eyes light up ever again... until she met you."

* * *

"**Well, Heath, I'll keep your secret about your wyvern eating the food. Hee hee… just watch over him, okay?"**

"**Heh, I'll be sure of it! I'll see you again, Priscilla!"**

"**Yes… and I, you."**

**Raven, sitting with his best friend Lucius, silently watches from behind a pillar as his sister, Priscilla, finishes her conversation with the army's newest recruit, a wyvern rider deserting Bern. The two of them watch the wyvern rider leave, and after he's no longer in the vicinity, Raven begins to reveal himself from his hiding place, much to Lucius' astonishment.**

"**Lord Raymond!" Lucius whispers, grabbing Raven's arm, "you tried so hard to find this particular hiding spot, and now you're showing yourself? I'm confused."**

"**Ugh. I have no more need to hide, so I'm going to talk to Priscilla."**

**Lucius actually chuckles at the thought. "You know, she's going to find out you were spying on her once you mention him."**

"**...yes, I know that."**

**Raven starts walking towards his sister in earnest to confront her about this new person that she seems to be getting along with so well.**

"**Priscilla."**

**However, once she turns around to acknowledge him, he stops dead in his tracks.**

"**Priscilla... your... your..."**

_**Your eyes...**_

_**I haven't seen your eyes so bright... since you were five years old...**_

"**Lord Brother? Are you alright?"**

**For once, Raven just stands there dumbfounded; after talking to this new man for the first time, she's happier than he's ever seen her in weeks... and possibly years.**

**And although he won't ever admit it, it is comforting to see her... to see his little sister so cheerful.**

* * *

"Really? That actually happened?" Heath asks, gasping. "I didn't know our first conversation left such an impression on her."

"It did. And I continued to watch the two of you... I don't know why, but I did. I guess I was worried about Priscilla's well-being."

The two of them sit in silence, each waiting for the other to speak. Finally, after many minutes, Raven breaks the silence...

"No. The truth is... I was jealous. Jealous... and at the same time, happy... that my sister was happy. And so... that's why I'm here." Raven pulls a small ring off of his finger and places it next to Heath's pillow. "Keep her happy... because I can't."

Raven now gets up to leave, but Heath pulls him back down to the floor. "But Raven! I... can't marry her..."

"Hmph. Why not?" I'm not stopping you," he replies, scoffing. "That's probably why you thought I was coming here, didn't you?"

"It's just that I'm a deserter from Bern, and she's of nobility..."

"_DO YOU THINK SHE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT THAT?"_

Heath jumps back, shocked by Raven's sudden outburst, and Raven, panting lightly from the loud eruption of words spewed, turns his glance away from Heath and faces the tent wall in frustration.

"...you love her, don't you Raven?"

Raven gradually returns his glance towards Heath, not responding, but his eyes are clearly answering the question as 'yes'. Finally understanding, Heath picks up the ring that Raven placed on his pillow and deposits it into his pocket, gaining a look of confidence and determination.

"Raven... you know this already, but I will do everything I can to make Priscilla happy," Heath says, slowly placing his hand on his chest. "I love Priscilla with all my heart, and there will be nothing I won't do for her... I swear it."

Still not saying anything, Raven continues examining Heath after his declaration, and apparently satisfied, he gives Heath a nod before he gets up to leave. Before he can exit the tent, however, Heath taps him on the shoulder to ask him one final question.

"Was there something significant about this ring?" Raven averts his eyes after hearing the question, but eventually, he gives an answer.

"It was... a foolish promise, made many years ago. However, not fulfilling that promise... that may haunt me as one of the biggest mistakes of my life... and I hope I can somehow redeem it in the future..."

* * *

Author's Notes

I think I may have landed on 'OOC Land' as far as Raven is concerned, but I'm just going to go with it. Raven's an interesting character, and now he's the entire foundation of the story. Who knew.

Whenever I write a story, I always make the assumption that whoever's reading has a reasonable knowledge of the events of the game. However, sometimes I refer to support conversations (or aspects of them), and those aren't necessarily common knowledge. I hope I don't leave any readers in the dark because of this. It may hurt me for this submission.

This three chapter submission on HeathxPriscilla (and Raven) is definitely a test of my morals, as you may see. I hope that people aren't afraid to express themselves throughout the story as it goes on... anyone want to take a guess as to why? :p


	2. Between Priscilla and Raven

Chapter 2: Between Priscilla and Raven

Exiting Heath's tent into the darkening sky of dusk, Raven solemnly walks through the campsite set up in front of the Dragon's Gate. Although many of the soldiers in the army are off to confront the enemy, some still remain in camp to treat the wounds of others, as well as to protect the supplies.

Raven's counted as one of those few. And fortunately for him, the person he wishes to speak to is here, sitting alone in front of the campfire...

His dear sister, Priscilla.

"Lord Brother! You look cold," she says, concerned. "Please... sit with me by the fire."

Not saying anything, Raven walks over to the log Priscilla's sitting on and sits beside her. Feeling his arm, she gasps, as it's as cold as ice, and she immediately moves herself onto his lap and encloses her arms around his torso, trying to share her body heat.

"Why are you so cold? Just stay here with me and warm up."

Raven looks with admiration at his sister. She is a truly beautiful woman, and her slender figure seems to wrap itself perfectly around him, almost as if the two of them were designed that way. Being so close together, he can feel Priscilla's slight curves against his chest, and he notes her delicate lower body, from her slim legs to her small but perfectly proportioned backside.

And even after their awkward situation yesterday, she still wishes to be near him and make sure he's alright.

* * *

"**Priscilla... it is a foolish promise. I cannot fulfill it. I don't know how you could be asking."**

"**I know, and I'm not asking; I'm only reminding you. It's just that... you're telling me one thing, and yet your eyes are telling me something else."**

**Raven averts his eyes from Priscilla's gaze, knowing full well that she is telling the truth; he does wish that he could fulfill the wish he promised her...**

**To take her as his bride.**

_**But it is a repulsive idea, immodest. We are brother and sister, beings not meant to be together. And even if we were, I've been pushing her away... she could never love me, no matter how much I love her. Perhaps... that is why I've been pushing this whole time; to avoid the truth.**_

"**Lord Brother?"**

**Priscilla's question snaps Raven back into attention. "Yes?"**

**Sniffling, she sadly removes the small ring on her hand; the very ring he gave to her that symbolized his promise from years ago, and places it onto his own while a small tear rolls down her cheek.**

"**I still wish to be by your side..."**

* * *

"Ouch!"

Priscilla starts rubbing her back with attention, and Raven looks at her cringing face with concern. "Are you okay?"

She shakes her head 'no' before wincing in pain. "I think I hurt my back this afternoon while bending for some vulneraries."

"Do you... want me to message it for you?"

After Priscilla lightly nods in affirmation, Raven begins to gently rub her back, causing her to sigh in relief. Leaning her face into his shoulder, Priscilla closes her eyes as Raven works his fingers across her back to try to alleviate the pain.

"Priscilla, do you... love me?"

"Of course I do; you're my Lord Brother. I'd do anything for you..."

He halts his massaging fingers onto the small of her back, seriously considering whether he should continue with the plan he's just created in his head, or whether he should just stop. In the end, he chooses to continue... no matter the consequences.

"Do you... still wish to be by my side?"

"Nothing would make me happier..."

Priscilla lifts her head off of Raven's shoulder to face him, and he gives her a warm kiss on the lips, surprising her.

_Perhaps... this IS how it's supposed to be... us, together..._

"Then... despite what I said yesterday, I wish to fulfill the promise I made to you years ago..."

Gasping, Priscilla watches in horror as Raven resumes his slow massage, except now he begins to explore the rest of her body instead; his right hand goes to stroke her tender legs, examining their softness, and his left starts to rub her petite belly.

"Lord Brother... what are you doing? Lord Brother..."

Ignoring her, he continues his investigation of his sister's body, taking note of every beautiful detail of it. After a minute, he moves on to other, more forbidden areas; one hand moves down to her diminutive yet attracting rear, and another slowly moves up her chest, cupping and caressing her modestly-sized breasts with subtle gentleness and attention.

"Lord Brother... please, stop..."

He doesn't. It almost seems as though her words are falling on deaf ears, considering that Raven isn't even acknowledging that she's speaking.

"Lord Brother... Lord Brother... _RAYMOND! Please stop!_" she shouts, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I don't understand why you're doing this to me!"

Hearing Priscilla's plea, Raven finally realizes what he's doing and immediately releases his hold on her. Now free, she moves to the other side of the log they were sitting on and sits down, continuing to cry into her hands. After what seems like hours, Raven, understanding the horrible mistake he's made, falls down to his hands and knees in guilt, his head facing the ground.

"No... how could I have done this?" he asks himself. "Done this... horrible thing to Priscilla..."

"Lord Brother... you just made a mistake."

Raven looks up in surprise at Priscilla. Her crying somewhat subsiding, she moves down to meet her brother on the ground, giving him a heartwarming smile. "Lord Brother, you wouldn't have gone any further than you had already gone, right?"

He nods lightly in response; he knows that he wouldn't have done anything more to her, no matter how hypocritical that answer may look on his part.

_I... guess I just wanted something from her, but I don't know what..._

"You love me, right? More than anything else in the world?"

He nods again, this time more affirmatively.

"Even though you were doing this... touching me, in such wrong ways, and even though I was more scared than I had ever felt in my life, I still had complete trust in you," she says, moving closer to him. "I knew that you would never do anything to hurt me, and you didn't. You were very gentle, and you made sure to stop once you knew what you were doing."

Once again, Raven gives his sister a look of admiration; even after he did this horrible thing to her, she still trusts him and wants him to know it. Despite these horrible circumstances, she still knows that he made a mistake and that she wants to patch things up with him.

"But, Priscilla, do you even realize what I did? How could you... forgive me so easily for this?"

As if to answer his question, Priscilla leans even closer to him and kisses him tenderly, her eyes sparkling the entire time.

This is the first time her eyes are sparkling because of him, and not because of someone else, ever since before they were separated.

"Because I love you... and nothing will change that."

* * *

As Priscilla goes back to the healer's tent to help a patient, Raven sits down on the log to contemplate his actions. However, after a few minutes, he recalls bits and pieces of his conversation with Heath ten minutes ago; specifically near the end.

"_Raven... you know this already, but I will do everything I can to make Priscilla happy. I love Priscilla with all my heart, and there will be nothing I won't do for her... I swear it."_

"_No. The truth is... I was jealous. Jealous... and at the same time, happy... that my sister was happy. And so... that's why I'm here. Keep her happy... because I can't."_

Raven stares at his hand where his ring for Priscilla used to be before he gave it to Heath. Scoffing to himself, he crawls onto the ground to watch the campfire, pondering how things could have been if he had made different decisions in the past.

_Heath... you better not mess this up... for Priscilla's sake..._

* * *

Author's Notes

I'm actually disturbed with what I came up with. So why the crap did I write it, and of all things, keep it? My guess is that you start to show maturity as a writer once you a) write outside your comfort zone b) write things that capture emotion in your heart, whether they are good or bad. I've felt emotion after certain parts of my stories in the past, but never in this way before. Although in response to all this, since when am I mature? :p

However, despite the... questionable circumstances, I believe a powerful point was made in the way Priscilla treated Raven; she loved him so much that she readily forgave him almost immediately, because she knew that he felt horrible guilt over what he had done, plus he only did it because he loved her, although perhaps much more than she had originally thought. I think this is actually very important, and that's why I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out while still feeling disturbed because of the content.

I've just discovered something: I don't think rationality is important in a story; I think _believability _is much more important. If you can get the audience to believe your story, you're doing it right. Some of the most messed up crack pairings can be accepted if you can convey the story and details correctly, and a part of me is saying 'I actually believe that this story has some plausibility and believability to it'. I hope some of my readers and reviewers feel the same, or at least don't think I'm a creepy, perverted lunatic.

Stay tuned for the final chapter of our excitingly upbuilding story! Seriously, the creepiness is finished now, thankfully.


	3. Between Heath and Priscilla

Chapter 3: Between Heath and Priscilla

The next day, Heath waits in front of the healer's tent for Priscilla; he plans to finally propose to her, and he needs to find her before the rest of the army gets back from their battle inside the Dragon's Gate. After many minutes of waiting, the tent flap opens, and Priscilla emerges, carrying many packages of vulneraries.

"Oh, good morning Heath," she greets him, smiling. "What brings you here?"

"Good morning, Priscilla." Looking frantically around himself, he continues, "I need to speak to you privately. Can we go somewhere for a while?"

"Uh, sure. Can you help me move these boxes first?"

She directs Heath inside, and he picks up some of the precious cargo; without these special medicinal drinks, there's a good chance that someone would have died a long time ago, and so he handles it with care as he follows Priscilla to their destination.

_I just hope that this isn't all for naught... just because of our social statuses. This is why I was so hesitant in the first place..._

* * *

"**Heath... why are you avoiding me?"**

**He doesn't respond.**

"**Why aren't you saying anything?"**

"**I... don't know."**

**Still afraid to explain himself, Heath just sighs and hangs his head down towards the ground. As the army continues to march, Priscilla decides to give up trying to reason with Heath; she figures that if he doesn't want to talk, there must be a good reason.**

**And in Heath's mind, there's a very good reason; technically, Priscilla isn't even allowed to speak to him. He just found out yesterday that Priscilla is actually of royalty, or at least very close to it, being adopted into the House of Caerleon in her early years. And Heath, being a fugitive of the Bern army, doesn't have the social rank to speak to Priscilla in normal circumstances.**

"**Oh, look!" Priscilla exclaims, "there's my Lord Brother. He seems to be... giving us a strange look."**

**Glancing to his side, Heath notices that Raven is indeed staring coldly in their direction, but for some reason, he notices another emotion in Raven's eyes, not just anger. Unable to pinpoint exactly what it is, the situation actually causes Heath to chuckle to himself, allowing Priscilla to happily smile in his direction.**

"**I feel much better whenever you're smiling, just like when I talk to Sain. Can you please tell me what's wrong?"**

**Admitting defeat to himself, Heath gives in and decides to tell Priscilla everything. "I'm sorry... it's just that I'm not allowed to be around you and talk to you anymore..."**

"**But... why not?" Priscilla's eyes begin to redden, and Heath immediately regrets his decision to say anything at all, but what can he do about it now? "I'm a deserter, and I found out you are of royalty. So... I cannot be near you..."**

"**Wait... Heath, you promised that you'd stay by my side!" she says, closing the distance between them and hugging him tightly. "Don't you care about how I feel?"**

**Feeling Priscilla press her face into his chest, a strange feeling begins to form in his heart; an emotion that he's never had before, and after thinking about it for a couple of minutes, he realizes what it is...**

**Love.**

_**I... love Priscilla. Even though I can't be with her, I love her... is that I'm feeling so guilty about this?**_

"**Priscilla..."**

**Priscilla lifts her head from Heath's chest in response, and he almost gasps when he sees tears streaming down her face.**

_**Does she... really care that much about me?**_

"**Priscilla, I'm sorry. While we're still here in this army, fighting the enemy, away from everyone else..."**

"**Yes?"**

"**I... I will stay by your side."**

* * *

After moving all of the vulneraries to the supply wagon, Heath and Priscilla go into the forest where the two of them can talk privately.

"So, Heath," she begins, "why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well, the messenger said that the army's coming back today, and that we were victorious." Nervousness coursing through his veins, Heath nearly backs out from continuing, but...

_Keep her happy... because I can't._

Raven's words repeat themselves through his brain, and he realizes that he can't stop now. He has to do this; for himself, for Priscilla, for Raven.

"...and, I've realized that I've been treating you horribly, just because of circumstances. I apologize..."

"No Heath, don't worry about it. You were only trying to follow the rules, so it's not a problem..."

"Will you marry me?"

Priscilla stands there and gapes, completely taken by surprise by Heath's sudden proposal, and she can barely make out a reply in response to the question. "Are... are you... serious?"

"Yes... I love you. I don't care anymore that we are worlds apart..." he says, pulling out the ring he received from Raven yesterday. "We'll elope, I don't know. I'll do everything in my power to make this work..."

Priscilla stares at the ring Heath's holding; she immediately recognizes it as the one Raven gave to her when she was a young girl, and she eagerly puts it around her finger, examining its glimmering diamond in the center.

"Raven, he..."

"Yes... he gave the ring to me yesterday." He examines it thoughtfully. "He told me to make you happy..."

Continuing to stare at the ring, the two of them keep silent for a couple of minutes, and then they lean in close, embrace, and share their first kiss, figuratively sealing the arrangement. After they separate themselves from each other's embrace, Priscilla excitedly runs back to her tent to begin packing her things, leaving Heath alone in the clearing.

_I'm going to have to thank Lord Brother..._

* * *

"Alright Raven. I know you're hiding in the bushes. Come out now."

A surprised Raven reveals himself from the brush, picking off the small leaves and twigs stuck to his clothes from hiding for so long. "So you knew I was there... fine. Yes, I did hear the entire conversation, but there was one thing I missed from my vantage point..."

"What did you miss?"

Raven slowly swivels his head around the clearing to make sure that Priscilla isn't running back, and then he asks Heath, in a whisper, "...what did her eyes look like?"

Smiling, Heath replies, "...they were sparkling."

THE END

* * *

Author's Notes

As usual, I wanted to try something different, and I came up with this story. Want to know the funny thing about it, though? Originally, this was going to be a couple of paragraphs outlining Priscilla's thoughts while travelling the world with Heath! And instead, you got this! Feel cheaped out, anyone? :p

Raven got a huge role in the story, and I wish you could pick a max of three main characters instead of two, but in the end, this is a HeathxPriscilla story, so I can't do anything about that.

I definitely cannot call this my best work. I'm not super proud of the writing quality, but then again, I've always been more concerned with the story anyway, as some may have seen based on my previous submissions and reviews. I am, however, always proud of the story, even though in this submission the second chapter still kind of creeps me out.

I've been doing too many mainstream couples lately. I'm finally going to start one of my first (and favourite) ideas that I've had since I made an account on this site. I hope to see you there when I'm done!

Signed, COOKIECHEESEMAN


End file.
